If You Hit the Powerball, Could You Build Your Own Golf Course in New England?

Winning the $1.7 billion Powerball—especially with that $770 million cash option—sparks a flood of daydreams. Sports cars, yachts, mansions, private jets—they all have their place in lottery fantasies. But if you’re a golf addict living in New England, one dream might rise above all others: building your own golf course.

It’s the kind of idea that makes friends laugh at first, but the more you think about it, the more tempting it becomes. After all, private clubs in the region have waiting lists miles long, public tee sheets are clogged, and land up here is still—comparatively—more available than in Florida or California. So if money were no object, could you actually build a golf course in New England? And what would it cost to operate one, whether you wanted to go the accessible public route or the ultra-exclusive private model?

Let’s break it down.

The Allure of a New England Golf Dream

New England is one of the most underrated golf destinations in the country. From the seaside drama of Cape Cod to Vermont’s rolling mountains and Maine’s rugged coast, the variety of landscapes makes for exceptional golf terrain. You’ve got Donald Ross classics scattered across Massachusetts and Rhode Island, quirky small-town nine-holers in New Hampshire, and even big-league resorts like Pinehills or Sunday River.

Building here comes with weather challenges—the playable season is typically April through October—but that limitation is also what makes the idea of having your own course even more appealing. Imagine stepping outside on a crisp September morning, fog lifting off your fairways, knowing the tee sheet is wide open.

Of course, to get to that point, you’d need land, design, construction, and a serious operating plan.

Step One: Land Acquisition

In New England, land isn’t cheap—especially large parcels flat enough and accessible enough for golf. You’re looking at 150–200 acres minimum to build an 18-hole regulation course. For context:

• Rural Maine or Vermont: Land might run $5,000–$15,000 per acre. That’s $1–3 million for the parcel.

• Southern New England (Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut): Expect closer to $25,000–$75,000 per acre depending on proximity to metro areas. That pushes the land cost into the $5–10 million range.

If you want water features, road access, and zoning that won’t give you a migraine, plan on at least $5 million for a viable site in New England. That’s before you move a single shovelful of dirt.

Step Two: Design and Construction

Hiring a top-name architect—say Gil Hanse, Tom Doak, or Bill Coore—will cost you. Signature architects often command $1.5–$3 million in design fees. Lesser-known but highly capable regional architects might charge closer to $750,000–$1 million.

Then comes construction. Clearing land, shaping fairways, building greens and bunkers, irrigation, drainage, and cart paths—these expenses add up fast. In New England, with rocky soils and unpredictable weather, you can expect:

• Basic public course: $10–15 million construction budget

• High-end private course: $20–30 million, with more elaborate bunkering, fescue roughs, and higher-spec turfgrass

And that’s just the playing surfaces.

Step Three: Clubhouse and Facilities

For a bare-bones public course, you might get away with a modest pro shop, snack bar, and small maintenance shed—$2–3 million total.

But if you’re building a luxury private club, think locker rooms with mahogany, a chef-driven dining room, wine cellar, swimming pool, fitness center, caddie facilities, and maybe even guest cottages. That’s easily $15–20 million.

Throw in a driving range, practice facility, and short-game area, and you’re at:

• Public model: $15–20 million all-in (land + construction + facilities)

• Private luxury model: $40–50 million all-in

For someone with a $770 million Powerball lump sum, this is chump change.

Step Four: Operating Costs

Here’s where reality hits. Building is one thing; keeping the grass alive and the lights on is another.

• Staffing: Superintendents, greenskeepers, golf pros, front desk staff, food and beverage, marketing, administration. Even a modest operation requires 25–40 employees. Payroll: $1.5–2 million annually.

• Maintenance: Fertilizer, chemicals, mowing equipment, fuel, irrigation. Expect $1–1.5 million annually for a public course and up to $2–3 million for a high-end club.

• Utilities and insurance: Water is a huge cost in New England, where summer droughts strain irrigation systems. Add another $500,000–$1 million annually.

• Other expenses: Marketing, taxes, debt service if you financed any portion, plus general overhead. Another $500,000–$1 million.

So your annual burn rate looks like this:

• Public course: $3–4 million per year

• Private club: $6–8 million per year

The Public Course Fantasy

Let’s say you wanted to build New England’s friendliest public course—walkable, fun, affordable, with wide fairways and greens that invite newcomers. Think along the lines of Sweetens Cove in Tennessee, but scaled up. In other words, you have to wear shoes.

• Startup costs: $20 million all-in

• Operating costs: $3–4 million annually

• Revenue potential: If you charge $75 per round and book 30,000 rounds a year (reasonable for New England’s seven-month season), that’s $2.25 million in green fees. Add carts, range balls, food, and merchandise, and maybe you hit $3.5 million.

That’s enough to break even, but it doesn’t make you rich. The real payoff is cultural—building a community hub where golf thrives.

The Exclusive Private Club Fantasy

Now let’s go the other direction. You want something so elite it makes Brookline and Newport look casual.

You’d keep membership capped at 150–200 families. Entry fee? $500,000 upfront, plus $25,000 annual dues. That’s $100 million in initiation fees alone if you sell out, plus $5 million a year in dues revenue.

Expenses would run high—perfect fairways, caddie programs, gourmet dining—but you’d have the budget to sustain it. More importantly, exclusivity breeds demand. The harder it is to get in, the more people will want it.

In New England, where private club waiting lists are often 5–10 years, a brand-new, world-class course could be the holy grail.

The Regional Factor: Why New England Is Special

Here’s the kicker: New England golf is unlike anywhere else in the country.

• Short season, high demand: People cherish their rounds here because they know winter is coming. Every tee time in July feels precious.

• Historic golf culture: From Donald Ross courses to U.S. Opens at Brookline, New England has pedigree. Your course would instantly be part of that story.

• Tourism appeal: Cape Cod, the Berkshires, Vermont foliage season—if your course had public access or stay-and-play cottages, you’d tap into one of the most lucrative travel markets in the U.S.

For a Powerball winner, this isn’t just a vanity project. It’s a chance to add a meaningful chapter to the region’s golf legacy.

The Lottery Lens

If you’re sitting on $770 million in pre-tax lottery winnings, these numbers barely scratch the surface. Build a public course and you’re spending maybe 3% of your windfall. Go private and world-class, and you’re still under 10%.

That’s the appeal. Unlike buying a jet that depreciates overnight, a golf course—if done right—becomes a living legacy. Your kids, your community, maybe even the golf world at large will talk about it for decades.

Of course, the practicalities are messy. Permitting in New England can take years. Environmental reviews are rigorous, especially around wetlands. Neighbors won’t always love a massive golf development. And weather will forever keep your course closed for five months a year.

But that’s what makes it romantic. Building a course here would be less about money and more about passion—taking a once-in-a-lifetime windfall and pouring it into a dream that outlasts you.

Could you build your own golf course in New England with a Powerball fortune? Absolutely. Would it be easy? Not even close. Between land costs, construction hurdles, environmental red tape, and the harsh winters, it would be a massive undertaking.

But that’s the beauty of the lottery fantasy. If you’ve got $770 million in the bank, suddenly the impossible feels within reach. And for a golfer in New England, there’s no fantasy sweeter than standing on the first tee of your very own course, knowing every fairway, every bunker, every green exists because you decided to dream big.

In that sense, maybe the real jackpot isn’t the money—it’s the chance to leave a mark on the game you love.

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